Paleo Marine

Pretty busy day for me yesterday being my first day at AT this year.

Breakfast

• The usual: two eggs and two slices of sugar-free bacon

Lunch

• I was getting hungry and wasn’t sure what I was going to do for lunch, so I ate an Epic chicken Sriracha bar.

We then decided to go out to eat for lunch, so I ate:

• Ceasar salad with no croutons
• 8 oz sirloin steak
• 6 grilled shrimp
• Green beans

This is more than I would typically like to eat at lunch, but I didn’t feel stuffed or over-full afterward.

Dinner

We went to a small get-together with a friend’s family where I ate:

• Pulled pork (two servings: absolutely delicious!)
• Raw broccoli and cauliflower
• Watermelon (about 1/3 cup total)

Again, more food than I would have typically eaten, but it was delicious, and again, I didn’t feel stuffed or too full.

18 lbs. That’s the damage. After two weeks of eating big breakfasts, big lunches, and big dinners that included alcohol, stepping on the scale when I returned home from Ireland and Scotland was a sobering experience. I expected it, however, and I had already made my peace with it.

This is important. In the past, I went on vacations and struggled with what to do and how to eat. I was emotionally wrecked many of those times, and it caused me to not be able to enjoy the trips as much as I could have. I also would give in around half-way through the trips and allow myself to eat whatever food or drink was available and representative of the location or culture I was visiting, but the guilt I would feel was immense. It weighed me down.

Not this time.

I let myself enjoy the food and drink without guilt, without self-doubt, and without remorse. The result was a more peaceful and enjoyable vacation, and now that I’m home, it is allowing me to tackle my diet head-on. I’m energized, excited, and smashing past the hurdles to drop the weight. As of today, I’m down 10 lbs out of the 18 I gained on the trip, and I’ve set my goal for another 12 lbs to get me to 165 lbs.

The most difficult aspect of a healthy lifestyle is the mental game we play against ourselves. We are married to these foods and the way they make us feel. It may be because we take comfort in the memories the food brings us, or just savoring the flavors is so pleasurable. But eventually, we have to push past what we think feels good in the short term to what actually benefits us in the long term and makes us feel better overall. What I’m trying to say is that pizza tastes great. It really is a comfort food for me, and while I’m eating it, it’s heaven. But afterward? I’m bloated, I feel sluggish and slow, and within a few hours, I’m craving something else. I don’t miss that at all. I much prefer the lean, satisfied feeling I have throughout the day, even after I eat.

So now, as the title says, I’m getting back to brass tacks. I’m bearing down on a proper diet, and I’m keeping my eye on the prize (how many more analogies can I write?). Whatever it takes, get your head in the game and steel your focus on a goal. My goal: 165 lbs and eating right. I won’t settle until it’s done.

I had planned on exercising a lot more than I did on this last trip. I ended up running twice. I enjoyed both runs immensely, and they were in spots I will likely never be able to run again (Dublin, Ireland, and Inverness, Scotland). More importantly, I was able to get out and exercise, if just a little bit, while on vacation.

I typically aim for three runs a week, although over the past 5 or 6 months, I’ve only regularly made 2 runs a week on average. I am changing that beginning this week, but that’s the reality of where I’ve been. While on this last trip, I also did push-ups on a few mornings, but again, that wasn’t my goal. Running every 2nd or 3rd day was, and I missed the mark.

I didn’t want to impact our friends who travelled with us too much with my exercise, and also, the weather was very cold and/or rainy on some mornings, and I didn’t want to run in 46 degree weather while it was raining. That just didn’t seem like a good idea to me at the time. I also didn’t want to risk hurting myself which would severely impact our ability to enjoy our vacation.

In the future, I will still set goals for exercise, namely through running, but I won’t beat myself up if I can’t meet those goals and I will celebrate when I am able to run. With that said, I am glad I did get those two runs in. They will remain in my memories as some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve had runs in.

It’s the fifth day since I returned from my trip, and I’m seeing my progress stall a bit. I’m at 178.2 lbs, which is close to where I NEED to be, but not close to where I WANT to be.

Breakfast

I’m sticking with what I know works best for me: the ol’ usual.

• Two eggs sunny-side up, two slices of sugar-free bacon

Lunch

• Whole30 compliant Chorizo and Beef Meatloaf with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato

Dinner

• My wife made an amazing meat sauce that we put over spiralized zucchini. It was so good, I ate too much and had a second serving.

After my run, I weighed myself and got down to 177.2 lbs. Getting there, slowly but surely!

Before going on my most recent vacation, I thought long and hard about how much I would allow myself to experience the culture through food and drink. On past vacations, I did all I could to mitigate the damage from eating carbs, sugar, and drinking alcohol by severely limiting the amount of these foods I would have. What invariably happened, however, was that about half-way through the trips, I would decide to not mind the food as closely as I had in the beginning which would do two things:

1. Cause me to gain weight.
2. Cause me mental anguish over losing control.

The first cannot be avoided if I’m not controlling my diet closely. I had to learn to just accept it and to let go of the stress of it to get past the second item. That’s why on this last trip, I decided that I would just eat and drink whatever I wanted to for the 12 days. I knew that it would result in weight gain, but since I knew how to lose the weight safely, I would just go into weight-loss mode upon my return and I would have made great memories in foreign lands having experienced their amazing cuisine.

It turns out, this trip taught me a lot more than just the history of Ireland’s revolution or the clans in Scotland. I learned that making a decision prior to a vacation about letting go of the stress and pressure of eating right made my time much more pleasurable. I had a much better time since I wasn’t stressing about the carb content of everything I ate. I also got to enjoy cider, a favorite of mine I only allow myself in very limited quantities. I also learned that the diet I am normally on, the Paleo Diet, is very good at controlling my weight, and it makes me feel better. Eating all the sugar, carbs, and drinking all that alcohol regularly kept me feeling bloated, swollen, and my sleep wasn’t nearly as good. I also felt more sluggish, as a result, and when I did do exercise, it felt much more difficult.

I used to advocate mitigation of eating and/or drinking non-Paleo foods while at special events, occasions, or trips/vacations, but now, I think I’m evolving my thought into making peace with the consequences of voluntarily jumping off the diet, and being prepared to pay for the decision by doing the work necessary afterward. I am not nearly as upset, cranky, or upset as I was on the last few trips we made where I ended up eating and drinking non-Paleo foods. From a mental health standpoint alone, I think this last trip was much better for me.

I want to say that the above works for me based on my experiences over the past 30 months of having adopted the Paleo Diet. I’ve been successful at maintaining my weight loss, and I know how to lose weight when I need to. I’m now currently engaged in weight-loss mode once again, and I am looking forward to experiencing it all over again. I hope that my experience is of value to you, and that you are able to take something from it to aid and assist you in your own healthy eating journey.

My morning weight is up just a few tenths: 178.5 lbs. I’m still very happy with this, as I’m back in the 170’s for two consecutive weigh-ins. Just a few more lbs to go and I’m already back in military regulations for my height.

Breakfast

• The usual: two eggs sunny-side up and two slices of sugar-free bacon

Lunch

• Brisket with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato nuggets. This was a good portion: not too much, and just enough.

Dinner

So, there’s a little background on this. My son wanted to take Sherry, my daughter (who is in town this week from NYC) and me to dinner, so I agreed as long as we ate at a place that I could eat Paleo food at. He suggested Nik’s Steak and Seafood which is a favorite of ours, so we went there. I ate my usual without the sweet potato fries.

• Dinner salad with oil and vinegar
• 4 grilled shrimp
• 8oz Red Snapper filet
• Broccolli

That dinner was a big bigger than I prefer, but my weight held steady at 178.2 lbs, so ‘ll take that as a victory. Also, I’ll be running again this afternoon, so I look forward to dropping a little bit of water weight after that, too.

Like any Marine, I make plans before I do things. I do my research (reconnaissance), I weigh the merits, and I make a decision and execute the plan. I’ve lost 150 lbs before, and now I find myself in need of losing 17 lbs. Based on my past successes (and setbacks), I’ve come up with the following plan with my wife.

• Strict Paleo. That means no sugar, grains, dairy, soy, legumes, or alcohol.
• Strict serving sizes. While we will not be weighing our food, we will be serving food courses that would fit into the palms of both hands put together to make a bowl.
• Exercise. While this doesn’t technically make me lose weight, I need to get back into better physical condition for my National Guard service. I have an APFT (Annual Physical Fitness Test) coming soon, and I need to make some improvements over my current performance level. Side-effect will be increased calorie burn which may help with losing weight. Current plan is for 3-5 times a week, but definitely no less than 3. I will run three times a week and hopefully add 1-2 days of either mountain biking or maybe some kettlebells.
• A positive mindset. I’m gaming this process. I am keeping track of the food I eat, my weight, the amount of sleep I get, and all the exercise/physical activity I will be doing.

I’m actually pumped for this. I’ve said it before, but this is like a game for me, and I know there will be some fluctuations and possibly even some setbacks, but my mind is 100% into making this happen. To me, it feels like a new beginning all over again, and I’m looking forward to getting back down to the 160’s.

Let me sum up the first two days since returning from my vacation.

Day 1

Morning weight: 187.8 lbs

Breakfast

• Two eggs sunny-side up and two slices of bacon

Lunch

• (I forgot what I had, but it was pretty small)

Dinner (at a friend’s birthday party)

• Hamburger with Paleo Bun (made by my wife)
• I also drank two bottles of cider and had two or three small glasses of Auchentoshen Three wood Scotch Whisky.

Day 2

Morning Weight: 183.8 lbs

Breakfast

• Two eggs sunny-side up and two slices of bacon

Lunch

• Two thick slices of brisket (freshly out of our smoker) and some Brussels sprouts with sweet potato pieces

Party Snacks at a Baby Shower for a Friend

• Two pieces of brisket, 8-10 french fry sized pieces of jicama, and about 6 or 7 cauliflower florets

Dinner

• Two thick slices of brisket and some more Brussels sprouts with sweet potato pieces. I really love this stuff.

Day 3

Morning Weight: 182.0 lbs

Breakfast

• Two eggs sunny-side up and two slices of bacon

Late-morning snack (9:30 am)

• 9 almonds. This is the first time since starting the strict Paleo that I needed to snack on something before lunch.

Lunch

• Whole30 Compliant Beef and Chorizo Meatloaf with Brussels sprouts and sweet potato

Dinner

• Baked Salmon with Walnuts, asparagus, and Japanese Sweet Potato Salad (recipes on Sherry’s website)

Before dinner, I ran three miles in the heat, then walked half a mile as a cool-down. I weighed myself before I took my shower and was shocked at what I saw: 178.3 lbs. Wow! It’s amazing to watch how quickly the bloating and water weight goes away after cutting out the grains, sugars, dairy, and alcohol. The body does respond quickly.

I’ve covered my weight gain while on vacation in Ireland and Scotland. I knew going on this trip that I would gain weight; I just didn’t know how much. I estimated that I’d gain around 15 lbs, and sure enough, that’s what the scale said. I had time to think about how I was going to tackle losing it again not from the technical or physical aspect, but from a psychological angle.

I thought a lot about it, and how I had tackled difficult things in the past. When it was time for me to start running, I had to get past a lifetime of dislike for running. I decided to trick myself into thinking I liked it and enjoyed it with great success: I actually do enjoy running now. I needed to take this experience and focus it on the task at hand: losing weight.

I decided that I would do two things to help me drop the pounds:

1. I am using this experience as a learning tool and to remind myself of how difficult it can be to lose weight.
2. I actually look forward to working toward a goal and experiencing making progress again.

For the first item, I find that it’s good to experience the difficulty of losing weight again. It’s been almost three years since I took my first steps toward getting healthy and losing weight, and for the most part, I stopped losing weight over a year and a half ago. For the past year, I’ve been in maintenance mode with my weight fluctuating within about 6 lbs. It was never too difficult to drop a few lbs here and there. Now, I have to lose roughly 15 lbs more. This is a much more serious number, and closer to what many people actually look to do.

To the second point, I actually enjoyed the process of losing weight when we started nearly three years ago. While it was a bit difficult in the beginning to get past the cravings and the flu-like symptoms, I enjoyed watching the lbs tick off on the scale, being into a new decade of numbers every month. It seemed surreal, and the continuous success was exhilarating. I’m looking to recreate that excitement this time over the next month or two.

I started over this past Sunday, and my weight was 187 lbs. This morning, I was at 182 lbs. My goal is 165 lbs, so that’s another 17 lbs to go. I am not as bummed or upset about it as I thought I would be. To the contrary, it’s like being accepted into a game or tournament, only I am competing against myself. I hope to see some successes, but I know the reality is that weight loss is not always a linear process. I will be reporting here honestly and truthfully on what I’m doing and how it’s going, both good and bad.

When I left for Ireland and Scotland, I was weighing a bit heavier than I’d like: 171.2 lbs. When I returned from my trip, I weighed in at 187.8 lbs. That’s ridiculous. It’s hard to imagine that I was able to put on that much weight in so little time. That tells me some things.

• The diet I was eating before was good for my weight maintenance.
• The diet I went to while on vacation, which included grains, sugar, dairy, and alcohol, caused my body to retain a lot of water and to gain some solid weight.
• The diet I went to is pretty much the same diet I was on before I decided to eat healthy. That diet is unsustainable long-term and not conducive to good health.

Now that I’m back, my wife and I have decided to get back to a very strict Paleo diet. We aren’t necessarily doing another Whole30 just yet: we’re going to see how sticking with a strict Paleo diet helps in dropping the weight we picked up in Ireland and Scotland.

So far, in two days of mostly eating right (we had a birthday party and a baby shower to go to this weekend that had me drinking and eating more than I want to right now), I’m already down to 182.0 lbs. That’s 5.8 lbs dropped in three days of good eating. I know that it’s mostly water weight, but that’s because now that I’ve cut off all the inflammatory foods, and my body is both reducing its swelling and getting rid of the excess water I’ve been retaining.

I’ve decided I’m using this experience to allow me to once again to experience the excitement of reaching weight loss goals, and I’m also using it to reiterate the healthiness of the Paleo Diet. I’m going to stick with it as I always have, except I’m going to be more strict with the portion sizes and allow the process to work. I’ll be reporting in on my progress as my work toward my goal of 165 lbs.